Love, Life, and Coming Home
by Lara C
Summary: Summer returns back home to Newport with a new guy. How will Seth react with Summer's sudden reappearance in his life again? Primarily SummerSeth, with some RyanMarissa, too.
1. Chapter One

Rating: PG

Disclaimer: I do not own the O.C., nor will I ever.

Life, Love, and Coming Home

Chapter One

She stood outside the house with a cigarette in hand. She lifts the cigarette and inhaled the sweet nicotine. "You should stop," he said. "It a bad habit," he continued softly. With one last puff, she drops the cigarette and distinguishes it with her foot. "Nervous habit," she spoke with a breath of cold air. "Come on, let's get inside," he puts his arms on her shoulder leading her into the house.

With one push through the doors, her past came sweeping back at her. It was as though she had never left.

"Wow...nice house," he said taking in the sight of the beautiful house decorated with flowers, ribbons, and balloons following a pale yellow and green theme.  

"Yeah," Summer replied silently. 

She swore that she would never come back. She promised herself that she would never return back to Newport. But now here she is....standing in the doorway of the Cohen's house. She only came back because of Marissa. Tonight was Ryan's and Marissa's engagement party. It came to no big surprise when she found out they were getting engaged. It was expected since like...forever.   

"Summer...is that you."

"Hey Marissa," she greeted with a sincere smile.

"Oh my God, I'm so glad you could make it! I was worry that you were going to be held back at work again. You look great!" Marissa beams as she engulfs Summer in a hug.

Work was among one of her many reasons she used to avoid Newport. Marissa had arranged many occasions for them together, but Summer always somehow found a way to back out. In truth, she wasn't ready to return. And she couldn't return home alone either. She had dragged her roommate, Matt along with her, on account that she couldn't find anyone to go with her on such short notice. And also because she couldn't find any guy who was willing to miss work to travel six hours across the country for only 2 days. With some persistent begging and nagging, Matt had agreed to go with her, but only for _moral support_.

"Thanks, you don't look so bad yourself either. I wouldn't miss it for anything," Summer said as she admired Marissa red cocktail dress, which was no doubt a designer piece.

"Oh God, you must be Summer's fiancé. It's so great to finally meet you," Marissa extending her hand enthusiastically. 

"Ummm...," Matt responded, unsure at what to say as he shakes Marissa's hand. "I...."

"Matt this is Marissa, you remember me talking about her," Summer said quickly, trying to cut him off.

"Uh...sure," Matt still confused and unaware of what the hell is happening.

"So when's the big date," asked Marissa excitedly, who was obviously happy for Summer. 

"I'm not sure, we _haven't_ talked about it yet," Matt turned to Summer with his eyebrows raised. 

"We haven't officially set a date yet. We'll probably be one of those couples who stay engaged for years before actually tying the knot," Summer said with a laugh as she loops her arm through Matt's.

"We have to go find Ryan, he'll be so happy to see you," Marissa said with a wide smile as she looked around the room for Ryan.

"Ryan....happy to see me, I never thought I would ever hear that."

"Ryan! Ryan!" Marissa shouted as she finally spotted him talking to Jimmy.

"What just happened here?!" Matt whispered heatedly when Marissa had turned her back on them.   

"Just keep along, for me, _please_, think of it as a favor for me," Summer looked at him pleadingly with her big brown eyes.

"Fine. You own me _big_ time."  

Matt was obviously upset. She didn't mean to pull Julia Roberts: _My Best Friend's Wedding_ on him. She hadn't planned this at all. The whole thing just....pop up. Besides she couldn't show up dateless, and Matt was her absolute last choice. Besides he was the only guy who actually knew her. After rooming together for almost 3 ½ years, they got pretty good reads on each other. They knew each others pet peeves, their likes and dislikes, and most importantly they knew how to piss the other person off. 

"Hey, what's up," Ryan had made his way over to them and lean in to give Marissa a kiss.

"Look who came!" Marissa exclaimed, turning around to face Summer and Matt again. 

"Summer...glad you could make it," Ryan said as he leaned in to hug Summer.

"Me too," replied Summer, a little surprise by the hug.

"Ryan, this is Summer's fiancé, Matt." 

"Nice to meet you man," Ryan said as he shake Matt's hands.

"Yeah, you too."

"Will you guys excuse me, I'm going to go get a drink at the bar. I'm a little thirsty," Summer interrupted.

"Uh...yeah sure. I guess I'll see you guys later then," Marissa said, a little surprise at Summer's sudden impulse for a drink.

"Come on _honey_," Summer said nudging Matt along with her. 

Summer led the way to the bar, and once out of Marissa's and Ryan's sight, "Since when did we become engaged!" Matt exclaimed quietly, so it wouldn't attract any attention around them. "Since February," she replied nonchalantly as she ordered a rum and coke from the bartender. "Look, I RSVP months ago and told Marissa that I would be bringing by fiancé, Bryan, if you remembered," Matt nodded irritably at her to continue. "And then we broke up unexpectedly a few weeks ago, which I know you remember because you called him a "jerk" to his face. And I couldn't show up to this thing fiancé-less, when I said I would be bringing a fiancé, are you keeping up with me" she asked as she sipped her rum and coke. "And, well, I just don't want Marissa's pity or sympathy or anyone else's for that matter if they found out the truth." 

"Well....," Matt trying to get his words in. "So, if you really love me, as a friend, you would do this for me, right," she asked cutting Matt off at what he was about to say. "How would this even work, we stink as a couple, even you know this," he exasperated.

They had dated a few years back before rooming together, all three dates ended with them yelling at each other. He thought she was a shallow and self-centered drama queen. She thought he was a bland and boring nick-pick. However, they made very good roommates though. "We just have to pretend that we're madly in love with each other. That's shouldn't be so hard, right," Summer said with a knowing smile. "Yeah, wouldn't be hard at all," he said through pure annoyance at the girl standing in front of him.

_Hmmm.... good? bad? tell me what you think._


	2. Chapter Two

Rating: PG

Disclaimer: I do not own the O.C., nor will I ever.

Life, Love, and Coming Home

Chapter Two

"Holy shit! I don't have a ring!?" Summer let out a slight scream of panic. 

"Hey it's not my fault, you didn't tell me we were getting engaged. Otherwise, I would have been happier to get you one," Matt said in a sarcastic, annoyed voice. Summer turned and gave him a glare, which in turn made him smirk broadly back at her. It was fun to piss Summer off when you knew how. But of course you have to know when to stop too, or you would become one of the unfortunate victims of her rage blackouts. 

"Just put that ring on your left hand," he said as he pointed to a small, squared-shaped diamond on her right hand. 

"I guess," she let out a sigh as she took the ring off and slip it on her left ring finger. She held her hand back to examine the effect the ring had on the hand. 

"It doesn't even look like an engagement ring, it's too small," she sighed loudly. 

"Well, tell them I'm poor and didn't have enough money to buy you a ring, so I sold all my stuff, and with all the money I had, I bought you that ring," he said through a huge smile. 

"You're having fun with this, aren't you?" Summer said in a thoroughly annoyed voice. 

"You have no idea. And I'm just getting started too. You never told me being engaged to you would be so much fun," he grinned widely.

"Marissa's coming over, let's try to act like we're in _love_," she said with an emphasis on the word 'love'. 

"Hey, there you guys are, we were just about to make our toast and announce the wedding party," Marissa announced enthusiastically as she walked over to them. "We're going be announcing the best man and maid of honor," Marissa smiled widely.

"Great, can't wait!" Summer said somewhat enthusiastically. The reason is, she knew she would be seeing Seth again, for the first time in three years. She could just imagine, Ryan would announce Seth as his best man and Seth would go up and make some quirky remark to make everyone laugh. He would be standing there, looking perfect and happy, and smiling at everyone, with a hot girl in his arms. Ughh. And she would be looking afar with her "fiancé". 

"Great, I'll see you guys over in the living room later!" Marissa leaned in gave Summer a quick hug before making her way into the living room.       

"So, are you Marissa's maid of honor," Matt asked as he took a sip of his champagne. 

"I don't think so, I think it will be Kaitlin, her little sister. I wouldn't be the best person for the job anyway," she said while staring aimlessly at the drink in her hand.

"Why not, you two seem pretty close." Matt had stood up from his stool and lend his hand out to help Summer up as well.

"Yeah well, things change," she replied back quietly. 

They made their way into the living room, and Summer made sure to position themselves at the back of the crowd. It looked like the entire Newport area was here. This had to be the work of Julie Cooper. Summer was certain, that like her, Marissa hardly knew half the people in the room right now. She also noticed the amount of plastic surgeries people were getting had doubled since she last attended a social event in Newport. The sound of glass clanking, which was the signal for a toast, quieted everyone in the room. 

"Hi, Ryan and I would like to say thank you to everyone for coming and sharing the night with us. Everyone in this room is very close and holds a special place in our heart." _Even Julie Cooper's plastic surgeon apparently_, Summer thought. "Thank you so much for showing us so much support and love over the years. I'll shut up now so we can take this time to announce our wedding party. So I'll let Ryan announce the best man first," Marissa spoke all the while smiling. She had never seen Marissa smile as much as she did tonight. _Doesn't her cheek hurt?_, Summer wondered. 

Ryan went up and gave Marissa a sweet peck on the cheek before starting on his little speech, little because Ryan was never the type of guy with much to say or much with words. "Umm, okay," he started off and took a sip from his champagne glass. "It's wasn't a hard decision figuring who would be my best man. He's family and he's been a great friend through the years. You probably know who I'm talking about, so....Seth Cohen get your ass up here," he concluded with a grin.

Summer made and effort to back even further back to avoid any sudden eye contact with Seth. He still looked exactly the same. Nothing has change about him. He still had the same curly 'fro, and still that same geeky and lovable smile. Seth made his way to the front of the room with a huge smile plastered on his face. "I just wanna say that I've always admired Ryan's ability to say so much in just a length of a couple of words. He is truly a man of words," Seth quipped. There was the quirky remark, and of course, everyone in the room laughed. "And Ryan," he continued "I'm gonna throw you a bachelor party that you will remember for the rest of your married life together with Marissa." And the room laughed again. He was still the same guy she knew back in high school. They never left on bad terms or anything. They just sorta grew apart from one another. High school ended and so did their relationship. They had promise to keep in touch, but they never actually did. And as the years went by, it grew harder for Summer to return back to Newport, especially now that she have grown accustomed to city life in New York.  

"Well, okay, I guess it's my turn now," Marissa spoke as she made her way to the center of the room again. "My decision wasn't hard to decide upon either. We have been best friends since kindergarten, and she has been with me through all my ups and downs..." 

"_Oh shit_," Summer muttered under her breath. Shit. Summer had lost her span of attention and was now stuck in a surreal daze. This can't be happening, she was just so suppose to show up and show her face to make Marissa happy, and leave and come back in a few months for the wedding. She can't be involved in the wedding, she's a horrible planner. And with Seth involve also just makes the whole situation even more complicated. She has to back out, make up some lame excuse. But then it would break Marissa's heart.

She felt someone shake her and whispered something in her ear. She snapped back from her daze and heard Marissa calling her name. And then she heard Matt whispering, "Summer, go, you have to go up," she felt him nudge her to go. She looked around the room and let out an "Oh." Summer walked up to the front of the room and was engulfed in a hug by Marissa. "You look surprised," she heard Marissa say. "Yeah," was the only reply that came out of Summer's mouth. "You know I would never pick anyone else to be my maid of honor," Marissa said with a warm smile. Summer smiled back, "Thank you."

"Hey, no problem. Just promise that you're gonna throw me a kiss-ass bachelorette party." 

"Of course, you deserve the best," Summer said with a genuine smile. She caught a glimpse of Seth and saw him give her a small smile, or what looked like a smile. She looked away quickly, "I'd better go find Matt," she said, hoping to get out of the room

"Yeah, okay." Summer turned to walk away and then heard Marissa call her back, "Summer, we're having lunch tomorrow at The Lighthouse around noon with everyone, can you make it?"

"Yeah, of course, we'll be there," Summer replied back. _Perfect_. This time, there was no possible way to avoid Seth.  

"Great! I'll see tomorrow then."

Summer let out a sigh and made her way through the crowd to look for Matt. She spotted him by the mantle looking at some pictures

"Hey," she spoke.

"Hey, what happened to you up there, you turned all pale and stuff," he asked worriedly.

"Nothing. I'm fine"

"You sure?" he ask again.

"Positive. Let's go find someplace to sit," Summer said, in an effort to change the subject.

He had known Summer long enough to know that she was not _fine_. But not wanting to push for any more information, he let it go.

"Summer. Now that we're engaged, I think we need to find a way to be honest with each other, don't you agree," he said behind a smile.

"Shut up," she rolled her eyes at him and let out an annoyed smile.

_~to be continued~_

_You guys are awesome! Thanks for all the wonderful reviews. Keep them coming. _:) __


	3. Chapter Three

Rating: PG

Disclaimer: I do not own the O.C., nor will I ever.

Life, Love, and Coming Home

Chapter Three

"Hey man, who are looking for," Ryan asked as he came by.

"Summer. I need to talk to her," Seth answered as he continued looking around the room for her.

Both Ryan and Marissa had agreed not to tell Seth about Summer until she came. It was best to leave everything peaceful and happy for a couple of months, instead of having Seth stuck in depressed mode and sulk all day long.

"Ummm, Seth about Summer....," Ryan started off slowly.

"Yeah, what about Summer, other than the fact that I haven't seen her in almost four years," Seth replied back, while still focus on looking for Summer.

"She's engaged," Ryan spoke quickly, hoping not to inflict any sudden damage on Seth. 

"What?" Seth asked again, not paying attention the first time. 

"She's engaged man. Engaged."

"WHAT! Summer. Engaged?! Are you sure?!" Seth heard this time and practically shouted in response, attracting the attention of a few people around him and Ryan.

He stood in complete silence, slowly processing the information that Ryan had just told. Summer. Engaged. Somehow those two words felt so foreign to him. He had never imagined Summer to be the marrying type, or even the settling down type.  

"You okay man," Ryan spoke to break the silence. "Maybe you should go talk to her."

"Talk to her. And say what, 'Oh hey, how're you doing? Long time no see. Oh, by the way I heard you got engaged.'"  

"_'Hey'_ works," Ryan attempts to offer his advice. 

"Oh, yeah, 'hey' _is_ a great way to start a conversation with a girl I haven't seen in almost four years and been in love with since the third grade. And did I mention that she is also engaged," Seth sarcastically remarked at Ryan's so-called advice.

"Just trying to help." 

"Can I at least ask how long you have known about this whole thing?" Seth asked impatiently.

"Marissa found out a couple of months ago while RSVP-ing people for......"

 "A couple of MONTHS!" Seth shouted, this time attracting even more attention and stares from the people around them. "And you never even thought or even consider telling me about this little fact!"

"Look, Marissa and I thought that it would be better if Summer told you than you having to hear about it from us," 

"It's funny because I could have sworn I heard you say Marissa and I, when I bet that this was all part of Marissa Cooper _grand_ doing," he said while gesticulating his hands all over the place.

"We didn't tell you because, we knew you would act like _this_. Just go talk to her."

"I need another drink," Seth grunted as he makes his way to the bar, hoping to find something strong enough to immerse himself in. Maybe vodka would do. 

 "Excuse me," he said absent-mindedly as he bumped into someone while swerving his way through the crowd.

"Sorry," he heard her say. He quickly lifted his eyes off from the ground at the sound of her voice. And there she was, right in front of his eyes. "Summer," he let out a whispered gasp. She couldn't help but turned her head around at the sound of his voice. And there he was, just within a few feet away from her.

"Cohen," she whispered almost to herself. So much for trying to avoid him. They stare fixedly at each other, before Seth broke the silence and move a few steps toward Summer, "How've you been?" he asked with the same whispered tone.

"Fine. And you?" she asked back.

"Okay, I guess," he replied.

Seth search for something more to say as he nervously shuffled his feet on the ground. He noticed Summer doing the same thing.  

"Look, it doesn't have to be awkward between us," he spoke.

"You're right," she responded, keeping her eyes fixated on her shoes. "We're not in high school anymore."

"So, how long are staying for?" he asked in an attempt to keep the conversation flowing.

"Just for the weekend, then I'm flying back Sunday night. I have Monday off from work to get some rest," she responded, lifting her eyes to meet his.

"I hear you're working with you dad at the firm," she continued.

"Yeah, two public defender fighting to making a difference," he said in his trademark sarcastic tone.

They laughed. And the awkwardness between them left. It almost felt like old times. 

"It would make a good comic book," she suggested smiling.

"The Adventures of Eyebrows Cohen and his Handsome Son," he smiled.

"It could sell millions." She smiled again, and somehow all thoughts of the gap between them felt as if though it had never existed. All thoughts of the conversation Seth had with Ryan disappear from his mind, as he kept his attention focus on Summer. She still had the same exact beauty about her, the same glow. If it was possible, she was even more beautiful than he had last remembered.

"You look beautiful," he spoke.

Summer could feel her cheeks warm up. This wasn't supposed to happen. She wasn't supposed to feel this way, especially now, with Seth. Seth noticed her cheeks turning pink, and couldn't help let out a smile. The music started up at the perfect timing, and he couldn't resist lending his hand out to Summer, "Wanna dance?"

Summer look at his hand uncertainly, not sure of whether she could allow herself to fall completely again. "Come on," he nudged his head. She took his hand and he led her to the dance floor. She wrapped her hands around his neck, and let her head rest on his shoulder. His hands graze her bare back, and slid perfectly to her waist. It felt somehow surreal, like a dream. It was....perfect.

_Lying here with you  
Listening to the rain  
Smiling just to see the smile upon your face_

_These_ _are the moments I thank God that I'm alive  
These are the moments I'll remember all my life  
I found all I've waited for  
And I could not ask for more  
Looking in your eyes  
Seeing all I need  
Everything you are is everything to me  
These are the moments  
I know heaven must exist  
These are the moments I know all I need is this  
I have all I've waited for  
And I could not ask for more  
   
I could not ask for more than this time together_

_I could not ask for more than this time with you  
Every prayer has been answered  
Every dream I have's come true  
And right here in this moment is right where I'm meant to be  
Here with you here with me  
  
These are the moments I thank God that I'm alive  
These are the moments I'll remember all my life  
I've got all I've waited for  
And I could not ask for more _

_  
I could not ask for more than the love you give me 'Coz it's all I've waited for  
And I could not ask for more  
I could not ask for more  _

The song came to an end, and they slowly pulled apart. He looked straight into her eyes, and Summer somehow felt like he was able to see right through her¾all her secrets and all her vulnerabilities. It was something only Seth Cohen knew how to do. She had swore that she would not let herself become vulnerable to another guy again. Vulnerability was something Summer had no control over, it only left her weak and open to another heartbreak, something she wasn't ready to go through again. She pulled away from his arms and made a hasty excuse, "It's getting pretty late, I should go." She apologized and turned and walked away, leaving a confused Seth standing in the middle of the dance floor.

"Summer wait....," he shouted. He tried to go after her, but by then she was already lost in the crowd. 

_~to be continued~_

_Edwin McCain – I Could Not Ask For More_

_Thanks again for all the wonderful reviews. You guys are the best! Keep them coming and I hope you guys are enjoying the story so far._ :)__


	4. Chapter Four

Rating: PG

Disclaimer: I do not own the O.C., nor will I ever.

Life, Love, and Coming Home

Chapter Four

"Please, please...." Summer pleaded.

"No." Matt was quite comfortable on the bed watching Sunday morning football. And he really had no intention of leaving the room, unless absolutely necessary. And going to lunch with Summer as her "fiancé" wasn't on the top of his priorities list.

"I promise that we would be there today," she said in a thoroughly annoyed voice.

"Well, tell them I couldn't make it," he said while still keeping his eyes glued to the TV.

"It's just one lunch, and then you can do whatever you want."

"I don't wanna go."

"Stop being such a baby, you're impossible," she taps her foot impatiently on the carpet.

"No you're the impossible one, dragging me here, and using me!" he exclaimed while still keeping his attention focus on the game. 

"I'm not using you. You're doing me a favor," she justified her reasons.

"Please," she pouts her lips at him.

Seeing that Matt would not give in, she would have to result to the worst, "Fine. I'll do your laundry for a month," she rolled her eyes with annoyance.

"I can do my own," he replied.

"Two months!"

"Three months, and you've got yourself a deal Roberts," he turned and looked at her intently, waiting for an answer. 

Summer paused for a second, but seeing how she had no other choice, she gave in, "Fine! Now who's using who?!" she exasperated.

"I'm not using you Summer, I'm doing you a favor, and you're returning the favor by doing my laundry," he smiled sweetly at her.

Summer grabbed the nearest pillow and threw it at him, "Get dressed." 

 "I am," he replied casually. He was dressed. In t-shirts and flannels dressed. 

"Get dressed to go to lunch," she said irritably as she slaps him hard on the arm.

"Ow! You should be more specific then," he exclaimed while rubbing his arm furiously.

She gave him a death glare before heading into the bathroom. He smiled to himself as he continued watching the game, it was fun aggravating Summer. It was one of his better qualities. Within an hour, they were in the taxi headed to the Lighthouse.

"Okay, let's go over this again, we've been engaged since...," Summer asked, waiting for an answer.   

"June 5th of last year," he replied back dully. 

"Good. We've been engaged for..."

"Seven months."

"We've known each other for..."

"Three years."  

"Dated for..."

"Two."

Matt was more then anxious to get of the taxi. Summer was seriously getting on his last nerve. As annoying as she was back home, she was even more annoying here. He had learned at times how to ignore Summer completely and block the sound of her voice, but his abilities were failing him at this time, just when he needed them the most. The cab came to a stop, "Thank God," he muttered to himself as he got out of the cab. Summer got out, and smooth out the lines on her floral dress. "Okay you ready?" she asked as she loops her arms into his.

"I guess."

"Oh, and Matt...."

"Yes Summer," he turned and looked at her, waiting for her next demand.

"Find me irresistible," she looked pleadingly at him.

"I'll try," he said with a somewhat sarcastic tone as shook his head and rolled his eyes.

"And try not to embarrass me." 

"I'll try, but I can't make any promises," he smiled innocently at her.

The Lighthouse has been very popular and busy through the years. And today was no exception as people headed in for the lunch rush. They were greeted by Kirsten at the door, who looked like she hasn't aged a single day. "Summer," Kirsten engulfed her in a warm hug. "You look great, honey," she said as she held Summer back and admired her. "So do you, you're absolutely glowing," Summer said as she place a hand on the bump on Kirsten's belly. "How far along are you?" Summer asked as she smiled at the protruding belly. "Just four months. Still five months to go."

"And you must be Summer's fiancé," she turned and smiled affectionately at Matt.

"Yes I am," he smiled widely. 

"Oh, it's so nice to meet you," Kirsten pulls him in for a hug, which he kindly returned. 

"Come, come, our table is back here," she said as she led them to a long table in the back of the restaurant.

Several people were already seated, while others were standing around the room talking. Summer looked around the room and absorbed the scene in front of her. 

Everyone was talking and smiling about whatnot. Everything seemed so peachy and perfect. 

"Summer!" Marissa ran over and gave her best friend a hug. She had noticed Seth looking at her, but kept her eyes away from any eye contact with him. And to her luck, Marissa had sat her and Matt directly across from Seth. Summer tightened he grip on Matt's hand as they took their seat. At least Matt was comfortable, he was really talking up a storm. She stared at her plate and played with her food while others talked around her. She looked up from her plate and smiled once in awhile, but also making sure to avoid eye contact with Seth. Knowing Seth, he was gonna want to talk to her about last night. But really, there is really nothing to talk about. It was just one dance. That's all. 

"So Matt, you've got to tell how you two met," Marissa asked as she leaned forward on the table.

Summer looked up from her plate with a nervously. This wasn't something they had discussed beforehand. _Oh shit_.  

"Um, Summer, why don't you tell them," Matt causally passed the question to Summer.

"Uh, I don't know, it's private," Summer replied unsteadily. She didn't want to answer the question. And she didn't want Matt to answer the question either. Who knows what will come out of his mouth. 

"Come on, tell us, Matt tell us," Marissa urged.

Matt paused for a second and spoke. Summer proceeded to quickly bury her face in her hand. She was pretty sure her cheek was going to turn pink in embarrassment soon. _I'm gonna kill him_.    

"Well....we met on the subway. I was going to Columbia. She headed to NYU. I was seated, cramming in last bit information for my Psych exam, when this beautiful girl, a few seats in front of me caught my attention. Needless to say, she was very distracting. I kept thinking to myself, how amazingly gorgeous this girl was. I began moving a few seat up to get closer to her, and maybe get my self-esteem up enough to actually talk to her. I didn't think she noticed me, but I just kept staring at her. She would have thought that I was a crazy stalker if she hadn't been so absorbed in her magazine." 

Summer was surprised to hear laughter. She looked up and caught Seth's eyes. He had been looking at her the whole time. Everyone else's attention was on Matt and his "story". Summer place her elbow on the table and placed her hand over her forehead as Matt continued on.

"Well, when she got off, she walked right pass me, and fate, if you believe in it, dropped a piece of paper of hers right at my feet."

"Really?" Marissa asked interestedly. 

"I swear that's what happened."

"Okay, sweetie you don't have to finish," Summer said as she nudged him to stop.

"No!" Practically everyone shouted for Matt to continue on, everyone except Seth of course, who still sat stoically listening to the story.

"See they want me to continue," Matt turned and smiled innocently at her. _Oh God. I'm so gonna kill him when we get back home._

"Well, being the idiot in love I am, I ran after her, and returned her paper. She took it and thanked me. And she left. And all I could get out of my mouth was, 'I think you dropped this.' That's was the one sentence that came out of my mouth. I slapped myself for letting her go. But then I remembered she had a Dean & Deluca coffee in her hand...."

"Summer doesn't drink coffee," Seth interrupted. 

"Yeah I do," Summer looked up and met Seth's eyes. Summer really did hate coffee and she knew that Seth knew. But for the sake of the story, she apparently liked coffee.

"She does," Matt confirmed her lie. 

"Sometimes," they both said together.

"Anyways, D&D is this nice gourmet shop located in Soho. And so, I went there everyday for a week before school hoping maybe to catch her. And then on the fifth day, fate gave me another chance. I was sitting near the door, and in walked this beautiful girl, the girl on the subway."

"Awww...." Marissa cooed and others including Kirsten and Julie couldn't help let out one too. 

"I wasn't going to pass up another opportunity to talk to this girl I thought, but being a total geek, I decided to casually bump into her. Needless to say, I got a little coffee spilled on me," he turned and gave Summer and big smile.

Summer forced out a tight smile. She felt like she was stuck in a movie. She can now say that she fully sympathize with Julia Roberts's character in _My Best Friend's Wedding_. Hell, she was channeling the character right now. She was half-expecting Matt to break out into a song by now.

"I casually ask her if she remembered me. She didn't."

"You didn't," she heard people around her asked and laughed. Seth was still burning a hole through her with his eyes.  

"But after an awkward reminder, she remembered. She even laughed. I bought her coffee, and we sat and talk. And then finally I built up enough courage to ask her out on a date. And the rest is ancient history," he finished. _Finally_, she thought as she looked around the long table.  

Everyone around the table smiled affectionately at them and surprisingly applauded Matt's story. _Please that wasn't even a good story._

"That was such a good story!" exclaimed Marissa. "It's so romantic. It felt like it came straight from a movie."

Summer chuckled nervously at Marissa comment, all the while thinking that it better not have come from any movie that Matt had watched.

"It was a good story," Seth commented bluntly as he looked straight in Summer's eyes.

"I wish me and Ryan met like that. We met each other on the driveway. How's that for romantic." Marissa rolled her eyes as others around her laughed.

"Hey things worked out pretty good for the both of you," Sandy happily commented.

"I guess," Marissa replied as she leaned in and gave Ryan a kiss.

Matt caught Summer by surprise as he leaned in to kiss her as well. She laughed nervously as she gently pushed Matt away. She wasn't exactly comfortable kissing Matt in front of Seth. And she wasn't exactly fond of kissing Matt either. She casually leaned towards Matt as he placed his arms over her shoulders. She caught Seth's eyes again, but this time he returned it with a blank stare.

_I'm so excited about this chapter. I'm so happy I finally got it out. It is by far my favorite chapter. I hope you guys like it too. Keep the reviews coming! _:)__


	5. Chapter Five

Rating: PG

Disclaimer: I do not own the O.C., nor will I ever.

Life, Love, and Coming Home

Chapter Five

The rest of lunch was fine. No more lies or made-up stories at least. Summer had kinda blanked out after "the kiss". _Stupid Matt_. _I'm gonna kill him_. _I'm gonna kill him_. _I'm gonna kill him,_ played over several times in her mind. She let Matt do most of the talking since he was doing such a _good_ job anyways. There was no point in trying to stop him. He was enjoying embarrassing her and making her life a living nightmare. It is one of the few things he's good at anyways. She occasionally looked up from her plate to nod or smile, and pretend to be happy and joylessly in love.

She moved the fork aimlessly around her plate as she listens to the conversations around her. She lifted her head and looked across the table at Seth. He was also staring intently at the plate in front of him. He had stayed quiet throughout most of lunch. Ryan and Marissa had also notice and tried several times to start a conversation with him. But the only words that came out of his mouth were "_Sure_." "_Fine_." and "_I guess_." Summer let out a sigh as she took a look at her watch. _Only another hour or so_, she kept telling herself. But somehow she felt like she was going to burst. She needed air. No. She needed a cigarette. She excused herself from the table and grabbed her purse with her. She made her way out of the restaurant and sat herself on one of the steps. She pulled her lighter out and lit the cigarette in her hand.

Smoking was like therapy to Summer. Cheap and effective. Matt had suggested she take up yoga or something if she wanted therapy. "Or maybe go to a therapist for therapy instead of killing yourself with those cigarettes," he had said once. She inhaled in the soothing nicotine and took a breath. She heard the door open from behind her but didn't bother turning around to see who it was. She silently prayed that it wasn't Seth. She already had made such a big mess, explaining things would be beyond her reach now. "Hey. What are you doing out here?" Marissa asked down she sat down besides Summer.

"Just needed to get outside for a little bit," Summer replied with a sense of relief.

"God, I haven't smoked a cigarette since high school," Marissa let out a sigh.

"Yeah."

"High school. Do you remember the drama of high school?" Marissa asked with a laugh.

"Yep. How could we forget the drama that was Ryan Atwood and Marissa Cooper," Summer said with a grin.

Marissa let out a laugh, "It's nice to have you here. I miss this."

"Me too."

Marissa had missed having someone to talk to. Summer was usually the only person she confided her secrets and troubles with. But it seems somehow that over the years they just grew apart. They were still good friends but it was never like it was back in high school.

"So when do you head back?"

"Later tonight. I'll probably spend some time at the beach first. Get a little tanning done. The only tan I get in New York is sadly the spray-on kind. Makes you kinda appreciate Newport," Summer said as she drops the cigarette butt on the steps and rubs it down with her Manolo Blahniks.

"New York city apparently had a big influence on you though. You're like the ultimate city chick now," Marissa said as she nudged Summer.

"Kinda hard to believe that we actually became _mature_ adults," Summer laughed.

"Yeah, who would have thought it?" Marissa laughed back.

"We should probably get back. I have a meeting with the wedding planner in like an hour," Marissa said as she looked at the watch on her hand.

"Yeah, sure" Summer sighed with relief. _Finally._

Lunch ended. Goodbyes and hugs were exchanged. And Summer felt a rage blackout coming. Luckily she was able to contain herself until they reached their hotel room.

"OW!" Matt screamed as Summer whacked him with her purse.

"What the hell were you thinking!?"

"WHAT!"

"The totally unbelievable story! The KISS! What were you thinking!"

"Oh, I'm sorry, I thought I was doing you a favor," he said looking intently at her.

"Making up a ridiculous story was not doing me a favor. And _fate_. I don't even believe in that shit. It doesn't exist!"

"Fine. Be cynical. I just was hoping to hear praises for my story. Who knew I was such a good story teller?" he said while smiling at a fuming Summer. He knew how much Summer hated to see so calm when she was piss at him.

"Ugghhhhhh," Summer groaned loudly as she stomped her way over to the bed. "I hate you!"

"The feelings mutual," he replied coolly.

"You just had to make things more complicated didn't you," she fumed.

"I was just doing what you told me to do and what's with you and the best man. Ex of yours," he asked.

"None of your damn business!" she shouted as she slammed the door of the bathroom door.

She quickly changed into her bathing suit and slipped a shirt and jeans over. It was common for her and Matt to fight. It is like second nature for them to piss each other off. This was one of their _smaller_ fights. They have had worst, especially when Summer was experiencing her one of her rage blackouts.

* * *

"You okay man," Ryan asked as he waved his hand in front of Seth's face.

"Huh...?" Seth asked as he shook off his daze.

"I see you're still hung over Summer," Ryan said as he flipped through one of Seth's comics.

"How can you tell?" he muttered as he buried his head in the pillow.

"I need to talk to her. But what am I gonna say to her, _Congratulations_," he scoffed.

His chances with Summer seemed so far out of his reach now. He had held out hope for a slight possibility of getting back with Summer. But now, all was lost. However, he felt a need to talk to her about something, anything.

"Well you better talk to her soon, she's leaving today. Chasing her through the airport might be effective," Ryan said with a smile.

"Ha, ha, ha" Seth forced out a laugh. "Airport chases...not my kind of thing man." He still remembered the night when he had chased Anna to the airport. He didn't care what people said about airport chases....it isn't romantic and it didn't bring the girl back. At least not for him. He had seen it numerous times in several cheesy romantic movies where the guy chases the girl through the airport to declare his undying love for her before she heads off to some other country, like Paris. That would never be him.

"I'm going for a walk," he declared getting up from his bed.

"She's probably at the beach," Ryan said coolly, looking up from the comic. "Marissa told him." He said, answering the confused look on Seth's face.

Seth nodded his head and headed out the door.

The fog was starting to roll in. And the sun was covered up by a bunch of clouds. _Great_. Tanning was out of the question now. The sky was turning grey and a burst of wind came towards her. She pulled her sweater closer to her body as she continues toward the beach. She walked a little quicker hoping to reach the beach before it start to drizzle. It hardly rained in Newport, and when it did, it hardly ever last for more than half an hour or so. _Perfect timing for the beach, _she muttered to herself as she finally reached the beach. The usually busy beach was now desolate and empty. The tides were rolling in strongly now, and somehow the crashing of waves seemed very soothing. She closed her eyes and took in the familiar salty smell of the ocean and listen as the waves crashed into each another.

It began to rain lightly, and everything felt so right for Summer at that moment. She lifted her face up and let the rain fall on her face, washing away all her makeup an all her worries. The rain came harder. And everything felt okay and not all fucked up. She heard the footsteps of another person walking towards her. She slowly turned her head and squinted through the rain, "Cohen?" she asked with one familiar word.

"Hey," he spoke back breathlessly as he approached her.

"What are you doing here? You're all wet."

"So are you," he replied back, quivering a little.

"I don't get sick as easily as you do," she responded a little worried.

She remembered during their senior year when they had lined up for some tickets to a concert. It started to rain and Summer suggested they go home. Seth, however insisted upon staying, got the tickets, and came down with acute pneumonia and had to stay in bed for a whole week. She, however, was perfectly fine.

"My immune system has grown somewhat stronger since the last time I had stood in the rain," he replied back with a slight smile.

"I doubt it," she smiled back.

"I wanted to catch you before you leave."

"I'll be back, you know," she smiled, sensing nervousness in his tone

They stood there, wet and everything, as Seth searched for the next few words to say. But nothing came, and they stood there, perfectly still.

"You look beautiful," he blurted out on pure impulse. And she did. There's just something so natural of how rain makes a person look.

"Seth..."

And on impulse again, he took a step forward and capture his lips with hers. And, she kissed him back. Her hand cradled the back of his head as he pulled her closer to him. They slowly broke apart to catch their breath, and both stood still, not saying a word. Their eyes stayed on each other's, and there was something just so surreal and perfect. He swept a strand of hair from her face and continued to admire the girl in front of him. She noticed his lips quivering, which could only be from the rain and dampness.

"I love you," he whispered. Her knees became very weak all of a sudden, kinda like they were giving up on her. She broke away slowly and took her eyes from his. "I can't....I'm sorry," she whispered and turned and walked away. He didn't move. He didn't stop her. He let her go, which was all he could do for now.

_to be continued _

_Sorry for the long wait. This chapter took longer than expected for me to get out and plus things have been a little hectic for me lately. So, I hope you like it. And hopefully a faster update next time. Thanks again for all the reviews from the previous chapters and please, please keep the reviews coming! _:)


	6. Chapter Six

Rating: PG

Disclaimer: I do not own the O.C., nor will I ever.

Life, Love, and Coming Home

Chapter Six

Summer rummaged through her bag looking for the keys to the apartment while Matt stood impatiently aside. He wouldn't be surprised if she had forgotten the keys, it was in Summer's nature. But he kept quiet, he had aggravated Summer enough this weekend. She dug the keys from the bottom of the bag and jiggled it in the keyhole. She pushed the door opened, while Matt grabbed their bags. _Home sweet home_. Matt threw their bags on the grounds and made his way straight to the couch. If there was anything in the apartment that they had spent too much money on, it was the couch. He flopped down on the couch and let out and exhausted heave. Summer followed and both sat there in serene silence. She closed her eyes and laid perfectly still on the couch. She wasn't able to get much sleep on the flight, on account of Matt snoring in her ear throughout the entire flight, like he was doing right now. She let out a sigh as she got up and head for her room. Her room was a mess. Clothes were thrown in almost every spot of the room. She never bothered to pick them up when she was packing, and now they sat in a wrinkled and unsightly mess. She plopped down on the bed and drifted slightly off into sleep until she heard the phone ring.

"Ughhh....," she groaned as reached for the phone near her bed. "Hello..." she spoke in her crankiest tone.

"Hey, you're back," said a cheery voice on the other line.

"Hey, Sara." Sara was Matt's on-again, off-again girlfriend. They were currently on their "off" period, which was something to be happy and relieved about. It made Summer blatantly sick to see to see them together, especially when they're all over each other when she's trying to eat her food. Summer didn't have anything against Sara, although her perkiness does drive Summer crazy at times, especially when she's in a bitter mood. Summer wonders why they even bother breaking up when they're gonna get back in a month or two.

"Is Matt there?"

"He just passed out on the couch, I can wake him up if you want," which was something Summer took pleasure in doing. She have applied several different techniques when waking him up including kicking him, dragging him, dripping water slowly on his head, or simply splashing cold water in his face.

"No, that's okay, just tell him I called."

"Yeah, sure." And with that, she hung up and drifted quickly back to sleep.

The next morning, Summer woke up with a throbbing pain in her left arm. She carefully lifted her body up and slowly moved her arm from under her body. Numb. Not just her in arm but all over her body. She turned herself over and laid soundly on her back. She turned her head and looked at the picture frames next to her bed. There was one with her and Matt at party in the Hamptons for some rich socialite. And another frame held a picture of her, Marissa, Ryan, and Seth, back in their high school days. Summer never knew why she kept that picture there. All of the pictures of the four of them were kept in a shoebox under her bed, except that one, the only picture worthy enough for a frame. It was nice picture taken at the beach, just before sunset. Everyone was smiling, even Ryan, not fake smiles, but real and sincere smiles. And everything looked _picture-perfect_. She quickly reached over to the frame and turned it faced down in an effort to keep her from thinking about Seth...._again_. She made her way her of the room and into the living room/kitchen area. Matt was gone from the couch. Summer could hear the shower running from the bathroom. She opened the refrigerator searching for anything edible to eat. Their fridge was empty as usual, with a couple bottle of beers, some Red Bulls, a box of pizza from a couple of days ago, and a bag of bagels. She reached for the bag and stuck one of the bagels into her mouth. She tug on the stale bagel and began chewing. Matt emerged from the bathroom with the towel rigorously working his wet hair.

"Hey."

"Hey. So I guess you're not mad at me anymore," he said.

"No. But don't expect me to forgive and forget so easily," she replied with a glare.

"I guess I'll accept that as an apology then."

"Sara called last night. Let me guess, you two are getting back together. Lucky guess?" she looked at him intently.

"No, I think we have reached our end. It's time to end things officially."

"Serious."

"Yeah."

Summer let out a laugh as she continues eating her bagel.

"What?"

"You said that last time."

"Well, I mean it this time," he said a little irritably.

"Sure. Whatever you say," she said, trying hard not to laugh. She finally burst into laughter, not able to contain it anymore. Matt threw his towel at her, which she gracefully ducked from.

* * *

_Ding dong_. The bell to the apartment rang.

"Seth. Hey." Marissa greeted him. "Ryan's not home right now. He's at the office."

"Um...I actually came to see you," he responded a little nervously. He couldn't believe that he was actually coming to Marissa Cooper for advice. Marissa Cooper, the girl, whose life, is more mess up than some of the characters on _The Valley_. Well, at least she's more stable now, hopefully.

"Really," she said a little surprise. "Come in," she said, leading him towards the kitchen area. "Do you want anything to drink?"

"I'm fine, thanks," he said as he took a seat on one of the barstool.

"So, what do you want to talk about?" Seth opened his mouth to respond but Marissa cut him off, "Wait. Let me guess. It's about Summer," she smiled widely.

Seth nodded meekly, not sure of how to start the conversation. "I kissed her," he blurted out quickly. Well...that was one way.

"Oh my God! What did she do? What did she say?" Marissa asked excitedly.

"Everything just happened really quickly," he replied. There was a moment of silence between them as Marissa waited for him to continue.

"I also told her I loved her," he said quickly.

"Now we're getting to the good stuff. Well...what did she say? What about Matt?" Marissa bombarded him with more questions.

"She kinda took off. So I didn't really get a chance to see how she felt about the whole thing," he said a little annoyingly. He was beginning to regret coming to talk to Marissa.

"Oh...I'm sorry Seth," she said a little apologetically. "She'll come around. It's Summer, she runs away from things she can't handle or deal with," she said sympathetically. "And plus, she is engaged," she added.

"Thanks, I didn't know that" he muttered sarcastically as he laid his head on the kitchen counter.

"You should go see her."

"See who?" he muffled.

"Summer. In New York. Talk to her. Sort things out with her."

He forced out a laugh, "I'm not gonna travel all the way to New York to _talk_ to her." Maybe it was a bad idea to come and seek some worldly advice and wisdom from Marissa.

"I'm serious. Go see her," she urged incessantly at him.

"Marissa.....no," he said again.

"I'll even buy you your plane ticket. Just go see her. I have her address too."

"I'll talk to her the next time she comes," he said as he stood up, ready to leave the apartment, quickly.

"Seth," she said insistently as she blocked his way.

"Marissa, I can't. I don't think she wants to see me very much, let alone, talk to me," he sighed.

"You'll never know," she said as she taps her foot impatiently on the floor.

He let out a sigh seeing that he wouldn't be able to leave without agreeing. "Fine," he said as he rolled his eyes.

She smiled happily as she escorted him out the door. "I'll call you when I get the plane tickets," she said still smiling even more. "And I'll even take you to the airport too," she said exuberantly.

"_Great_," he replied exhaustedly, but still retaining his sarcasm, which he hoped Marissa picked up on because he really didn't want go see Summer. He just couldn't settle for some broody man on man talk with Ryan. It was a stupid mistake coming to Marissa, a mistake that Seth would never make again.

_to__ be continued_

_Again, thanks for all the wonderful reviews. Please keep them coming! Finals are coming up....so it may take a while before a new chapter is up, but hopefully not a long while. Thanks again for reading. _:) __


	7. Chapter Seven

Rating: PG

Disclaimer: I do not own the O.C., nor will I ever.

Life, Love, and Coming Home

Chapter Seven

"You guys _really_ didn't have to drive me airport. I could have just caught a taxi or something," he sighed from the backseat of the Range Rover. Seth had never fully complied with the New York idea. But Marissa being as stubborn she is wouldn't listen.

"And miss you leave. I don't think so," Marissa replied while checking her makeup in the overhead mirror. "Besides, we came to make sure you don't back out or do something stupid. I didn't pay a hundred bucks for you to chicken out. The tickets are non-refundable."

"I can always give the ticket away. Who knows, I could possibly change someone's life in the process too," he suggested.

"Ha, ha, very funny. You sarcasm grows everyday, Seth," said Marissa in an obviously annoyed voice.

"Ryan, couldn't you have at least _tried_ talking her out of this ridiculous plan. Oh wait....I forgot, Marissa has got you whipped," he imitated the sound of a whip cracking. Ryan stayed quiet. He knew all too well not to get into one of their arguments. He would have to take sides, and that never turned out well.

Marissa turned and gave Seth one of her death glares, which was something she has been doing a lot lately. Maybe, he was starting to get on her last nerves. Pissing Marissa off was a full time job for Seth, a job that he rather liked.

"I still don't get why you have to follow me to the airport. It's not like you can follow me through security. You don't have a ticket," he continued again. "I mean I can just slip out without you knowing, and stay out your sight until Thursday."

"I'm not even gonna comment on that. You are so immature." She gave up. In all the time that she has known him, there was never a single civilized conversation between them. Never.

Seth had never seen a longer check-in line than the one he was standing in right now. It had passed nearly ten minutes, and the line has even budged. He checked his watch once more as taps his foot impatiently. The crying baby in front of him wasn't making the situation any better. The mother turned around and gave in a smile, and he begrudgingly forced out a smile. Marissa and Ryan were at the seating area, waiting and doing whatever they do. He let out another sigh as the line moved another inch. Half an hour and a migraine later, Seth emerged from the line.

He had never fully acknowledged with himself that he was actually going to New York. He was going to New York….to see Summer. _What the hell am I doing?!_ Somehow holding the ticket at that moment, everything felt so real and sudden. He wasn't ready to see Summer, hell he didn't even know what he would say to her. _Hi…I was nearby, so I thought I drop by._ And there he started to panic. Beads of sweat began dropping from his forehead as he went to find Ryan and Marissa. He wasn't going. _So I'm a coward. I'll deal with that._ He spotted them seating over near the windows. His hands began to shake a little as he approached them.

"Hey you ready," Ryan greeted him. "I'm not going," he blurted out quickly.

"I knew it. I _knew_ you would back out," Marissa exclaimed, causing a few people around them to turn and look. "I knew it," she lowered her voice.

"Congratulations, would you like a medal," he had all the intention of screaming back at her for making him go in the first place, but since it was a public place with several hundred people, he restrained himself.

"You are getting on that plane," she snapped firmly.

"No I'm not. Ryan, would you tell her I'm not going," he turned to Ryan, waiting for him to comply. Ryan stood again, yet in the middle.

"Ummm….," he started. "Ryan, tell him he has to go," Marissa demanded next. "I have to…," he looked around for a way out, "…go to the bathroom," he said quickly, as he spotted the bathroom signs. He headed off quickly to the direction the signs were pointing to as they both shouted for him.

"Ughhh....," Marissa exclaimed as she stomped her stiletto heels on the ground and fell back angrily on the seats. "Ditto," he bitterly remarked. The only person that could have possibly helped him escaped…just left. And he was now stuck in the wrath of Marissa Cooper. _Shit_.

"I'm saying it again. I'm not going. I've made up my mind," he said again.

"Well too bad, you are going. Don't make me push you on that plane,"

"You can't make me go."

"_Seth Cohen_…." she raised her voice, "….you are getting on that plane, or I'll….," she searched for something valid to hold him against.

"Or you what," he tempted her to say.

"Or I'll…I'll tell your mom what happened to that antique vase she loved so much."

"You wouldn't….," he gasped.

"Oh…I would," she said with her arms squarely crossed and her foot tapping on the floor, waiting for his reply.

"I don't care. I'm still not going. "

"Seth!" she exclaimed as she flopped back onto the chairs.

"Can I ask you a question?" he asked coolly. She gave him a glare and he took it as a signal to continue.

"Why does this mean so much to you? Me seeing Summer," he asked.

"I just...I don't know," she sighed, "I guess....seeing you two together, just reminds be of how we used to be. The four us....you know what I mean?"

He paused for a moment to recollect what Marissa had just said. Oddly enough, he knew what she meant.

"Yeah, I actually do," he nodded his head slowly.

"I mean I don't expect you guys to get back together or anything. Just...."

"I know what you mean," he said sympathetically. She leaned in and gave him a hug, and he hugged her back

_Did Marissa and I just have a moment?_ He shook his head and shuttered at the thought.

Ryan from the distance approached them carefully, unsure if they had dealt with the situation yet.

"Hey, is it safe yet," he asked uncertainly.

"Yeah, Seth is going to New York," she said as she wrapped her hand around Ryan's waist.

"Really," he said as he gave Seth a look. Seth shrugged back in response, "I'm going."

"Well, let's go then," Ryan said as he picked up one of Seth's carry-on duffels.

They headed toward security, and Seth reluctantly followed along. He tried to think optimistically about the whole situation. But he was never an optimist…or a cynic actually. Maybe he was just stuck between the two. __

"Have a safe trip man," Ryan said leaning in to give the two pats on the back hug, otherwise known as the man hug.

Marissa surprisingly remained quiet and offered no last minute advice.

"Hey, are you gonna wish me a nice fright or what," he asked with a smile.

"Have a nice _flight _Seth," she let out a smile and leaned in and gave him one last hug.

Seth headed toward the throng of people waiting to pass security and turned around to give Ryan and Marissa one last wave.

"Do you think it's a good idea sending him to New York," Ryan asked as he waved back.

"Of course it is."

* * *

"Matt, where the hell is my pint of ice cream?!" she yelled from the kitchen.

"I might have eaten it last night," he shouted back from his bedroom. "There was nothing else in the fridge. I was hungry," he said as he emerged from the bedroom. Summer was standing by the fridge looking ready to snap with a death glare that could easily give someone a panic attack. "I don't fucking care if you are starving to death. Don't ever touch my ice cream. Do I have to put a fucking label with my name on it?!"

"Might help," he replied back nonchalant. "Chill. I'll buy you some more later."

"Forget it. I going now," she fumed as she reached for her purse.

She headed to the door and opened it to be greeted by an extremely perky face. "Sara."

"Hey! You look great. Did you get a tan?" she leaned in a pulled Summer into a hug.

"Ummm….thanks," she replied, even though she hardly looked one bit tanned. Sara nodded her head, and made her way straight to Matt, who was a little stun to see her. "I thought we were gonna meet tomorrow for dinner," he said as she pulled him into a hug.

"Well, you said it was important. So why not talk now," she replied smiling.

"Now?" he asked a little uncertainly as she looked towards Summer for help. She shrugged back and smiled widely as she closed the door.

"Umm…let's sit down," he motioned towards the couch. They both sat down. He wasn't ready, at least not at this moment. He didn't even know what he was gonna say. How do you break up with a girl without hurting her feelings? Well....he wasn't actually dating Sara. Hell, they hadn't dated in two months. _Just tell her it's over. Couldn't be simpler, right?_

"We've known each other now for…" he started off shakily.

"Almost two years," she interrupted, smiling back at him.

"Yeah," he chuckled uncomfortably. "Well, I think that we should…"

"I agree," she interrupted again.

"You agree?" he asked nervously.

"Yeah. That we should get back together," she said smiling once more.

"Get back together?" he smiled uneasily. "Ummm…."

Outside Seth walked shakily up the stairs. He hands fumbled nervously with the slip of paper Marissa had given him. The crumbled up piece of paper held Summer's address and number. He looked at it again, for the ten-millionth time since he got there. He walked down the long hallway, looking ever so often at the room number. 385. 387. 389. 341.

341. His hands began to shake as he reached up to knock on the door. He pulled his hands away as he looked again at the paper in his hand. He didn't want Summer to be home honestly. He just didn't want to deal with it. Not now....not at this moment. But there would never be the "right" moment. So he reached his hand up and knocked firmly on the door.

"Ummm…." he struggled with the right words to say. Just then, just as if God had answered his prayer, someone knocked at the door. "I'll be right back," he said as he got from the couch. He breathed a sigh of relief as he went to answer the door.

His sweat glands were working profusely on overload by now and his heartbeat had quickened to an abnormally fast rate. He could hear his own heartbeat go _thud, thud, thud_ against his own chest with every breath that he made. He thought about running and looked to the nearest stairway, but his foot was already planted to the ground. The locks to the door were clicking and unlocking on the other side. _It's_ _now or never_, he thought. He straightened up and tried to smooth the lines on his shirt, making himself somewhat presentable.

"Ummm…hey," Matt greeted as he opened the door. He was a little surprise when had taken a look through the peep hole. Summer wasn't expecting any friends from Newport, as far as he knows. "Seth, right?" he asked as he extended his hand.

"Uhhh…yeah," he replied back unsteadily as he shook the hand in front of him. "Is Summer home?"

"She just left for the store several minutes…"

"Oh, okay. Thanks anyways," he said as he turned towards the staircase.

"Wait, you can stay and wait for her."

"I don't want to intrude."

"You're not, please come in," he said as he motions Seth in the door.

"Thanks."

He looked around the apartment, and took in the sight of the space around him. It was small, cramped, but simple. It still retained a very vibrant and modern style, which no doubt had to be Summer's doing. The apartment was very Summer-ish in a way. He couldn't describe it, maybe it was the pink linings of the wall, or maybe it was just the daisies on the kitchen counter, Summer's favorite flowers. It had a nice view, at least a nice half-view. The other half of the view was obstructed by a giant billboard.

"Sara, I'd like you to meet a friend of Summer's, Seth. Seth this is Sara."

"Hi," she says as she extended a hand.

"Hey," he said. Over her shoulder, a picture sitting on the lamp table caught his attention. It was a picture of Summer and Matt and a few other people he didn't know. She looked beautiful. Hell, Summer was extremely photogenic. Summer has never taken a bad picture before, as far as he knows. She looked happy.

The phone rang from a distance in the bedroom as Seth shook away from his daze.

"Why don't you two talk for a bit while I get that," he said as he made his way towards the bedroom.

Sara took a set on the couch and Seth sat down on the nearest chair. "So, are you from Newport?"

"Yeah."

"It must be nice there. All the sun and beach," she said smiling.

"It's not all hype up as it is," he replied back with an awkward smile.

"Still I would love to live there. It would be nice change from New York," she sighed. "So how long have you known Summer?"

"Uh…a long time, I guess," he said as shifts uneasily in his chair.

"I'm detecting a boyfriend vibe from you," she said smiling coyly.

"A what?" he asked a little startled at the comment.

"Have you and Summer dated before or are you guys still dating now," she asked as she leaned in towards Seth.

"Umm…" he wasn't sure he wanted to disclose his personal relationship with a complete stranger "…we used to date. But now that she's engaged…."

"Wait….what?" she abruptly interrupted. "Summer is engaged?! To who?" she asked in a shocked tone. "I can't believe she didn't tell me. Is it someone form Newport?" she continued on.

"Ummm," he said, not sure of how to answer the questions. _Didn't she know?_

Matt's voice was heard talking in the distance. He slowly pointed toward the direction of Matt. She gave a small laugh as she turned to look around to what he was pointing at. Still trying to figure out at what he was pointing at, she turned back with a confused look.

"Matt," he coughed out quickly.

"What?" not sure if she heard what she heard. "Did you say Matt?" she asked with the same confused look.

He nodded his head quietly as he kept his eyes focus on his hands.

"Matt and Summer are not engaged. They can't even stand each other," she said in disbelief. "I mean they fight and bicker almost everyday. I don't understand how they even ended up as roommates. They…they hate each other!" she shouted in bewilderment. Matt hung up the phone in the other room as he emerged to see what all the commotion was. "Hey. What's with all the noise out here?"

"Matt. Summer's friends here, Seth thinks that you and Summer are engaged. Isn't that ridiculous," she asked while laughing.

_Shit_, Matt thought. _Quick think of something. _"Uhhh…" _Anything._

"I mean you and Summer practically hate each other," she continued.

He figured he could do both him and Summer a favor and just admit the truth.

"We are," he said. "Engaged. And we…we don't hate each other."

…well not the truth exactly. At least this way, can officially break things up with Sara and help Summer as well.

"What?!"

"It was about a month ago," he continued on.

"I can't believe this!" she cried in disbelief. "We broke up hardly two months ago!"

"Well, Summer was there when you and I broke up, and well…things took off from there. I can't explained it," he continued.

"Oh my god…I have to go," she said as she gathered her purse and jacket together. She headed out the door and looked back once more at Matt and shook her head in complete and utter disbelief.

"Uhh…sorry about that," Matt said as he ran his hand through his hair.

"No problem," Seth said still staring at his hands. _What the hell just happened there?_ He knew it was none of his business. But something was off. It just didn't seem to fit, or make sense. Or was he just thinking like this because he still wanted to believe that there was still a small possibility of him and Summer again.

to be continued

_Hope you guys like this chapter. It was a little longer than usual to make up for the wait. The truth must come out – I know. It will…eventually. After all it is a SummerSeth fic. Thanks for the wonderful past reviews. They really keep me going. So please keep them coming._ :)


	8. Chapter Eight

Rating: PG

Disclaimer: I do not own the O.C., nor will I ever.

Life, Love, and Coming Home

Chapter Eight

Seth was torn from his daze when he heard the keys jingling from outside. His heart quickened again and he began tapping his foot nervously on the floor. He turned to look at the door but then quickly turned back again. He rubbed his palms together as he rocked back and forward on the couch. The tension of hearing the locks unlocking slowly one by one was starting to get to him. He was nervous train wreck sitting there…waiting for the damn door to open. He wanted to just go over to there and open it. Open it and face Summer. But of course, he didn't have the guts to do it.

_So there it was._ _I am a fucking coward_, he cursed himself silently. With each lock clicking open, he swore his heart quickened a little more. He was damn near to breaking out into a panic attack. He wished that Matt would have just opened the door. Then there wouldn't be any of this fucking tension build-up. But he was in the room, taking another phone call.

Seth sunk down slowly on the couch, hoping she wouldn't see him. It was a big couch, maybe she won't. _Fuck. What the hell am I thinking? Yeah, she won't see me because I have just somehow acquired some invisibility power._ But he sunk down as far as he could anyway. The door swung opened, and Summer footsteps clicked on the bare floor. _This is it_.

"I guess things didn't go to well with Sara. She gave me the nastiest look when we passed each other outside," she shouted as she removed her keys from the knob and slammed the door behind her. She kicked off her shoes and Seth could hear her rummaging through the closet, probably to put her coat away or something. He should have turned around, but again, like his whole body, his head was locked firmly in place. All he could do was keep staring ahead.

"I'll have to call you back later," he heard Matt said.

Matt quickly set the phone down and made his way out of room. He stood at the doorway and took in the sight in front of him. Seth was cowering low on the couch while Summer had yet to notice their guest. He gave Seth a last look and proceeded to say, "Hey", to Summer.

"So what the hell happened?" she asked with her head still stuck in the closet.

"Ummm….," he said as he looked in Seth direction again.

"Summer, we have a guest," he said a little unsteadily.

"Who?" she asked as she pops her head out of the closet, a little surprised. 

Matt looked back at the couch and cleared his throat loudly. Seth took it as his cue to stand up, but was somehow afraid that if he did, he knees would give out on him. _Stand up. Stand the fuck up._ He used his hands and pushed himself up slowly. Summer let out a gasp as she saw the curly head of hair emerge from the couch.

"Cohen," she gasped.

He turned around slowly and let out a simple, "Hey.

"Hi," she said breathlessly, still surprised that Seth was here. Here in New York. Here in her apartment.

Seeing it as he chance to leave, Matt broke the silence, "I'm gonna go take a walk."

Summer just nodded her head, unable to tear her eyes away from Seth.

"Well, I guess I'll see you guys later then," he said again before reaching for the doorknob. Seeing how no one was paying attention to him, he left quickly.

After hearing the door shut behind her, she spoke again softly, "What are you doing here?"

"I….it's a long story," he spoke as he fumbled with the shoelaces of his Chucks. He looked up and met her eyes again, "Marissa may had something to do with it," he spoke quickly.

Summer let out a sigh, "Marissa. She has never change has she?"

Marissa was the peacemaker, the mender of the group. She was always the first one to show up at any sign of trouble or fight, and always the one who tries relentlessly to fix the problem, even though it was sometimes out of her reach of fixing.

She let out another sigh as he picked up her grocery from the floor and walked over to the kitchen area.

"Do you want anything to drink?" she asked as she opened the fridge.

"I'm fine. Thanks."

She grabbed herself a Diet Coke and made her way over to the couch. She sat down and motioned him to sit down as well. She flicked the can open and took a sip. They sat there, in silence until Seth spoke up, "I hope I'm not intruding or anything."

"I should have called," he continued nervously. "I didn't mean to just show up like this," he rambled on.

"Seth. It's okay," she spoke as she gave him a small smile.

Somehow the smile was comforting to him and he smiled back.

"Why are you here?" she asked again delicately.

There was the question he was expecting. And in truth, he didn't know how to answer it exactly.

"I….," he started off shakily. "I was on a six-hour plane ride, trying to figure out exactly how I would answer that question and what I would say to you when I got here. But nothing came. And then I was hoping that some last minute stuff would come to me the cab ride over here, but again, nothing. So I really don't know what to say or where to begin exactly….," he rambled on nervously.

Summer touched his knees softly and he stopped and looked at the hand. He looked up at her and met her eyes again. He almost forgot how beautiful they were.

How beautiful she was. "You were rambling again," she said softly as she retracted her hand from his knee.

"Does this feel weird? Me being here," he asked softly.

"A little," she said as she broke into a smile. "It shouldn't be though," she said quickly.

"Yeah, it shouldn't," he said quietly.

There was another lull between them before Seth spoke again, "Back home, in Newport," he started off slowly.

"When I told you that I love you, it was something I had to say. I didn't expect you to say anything back or do anything. It was just something I needed to hear myself say," he spoke faintly. He paused and continued on, "I've been kinda lost lately. These last few days, I have been a wreck," he said with a small chuckle.

"Seth…" she breathed out slowly, almost whispering his name. She wanted to tell him everything right then and there. Just tell him the truth about everything. Tell him how it was all a lie. A stupid shitty lie.

"I realize that this was all probably for the best. You moving on and all. And I realize I have to move on as well," he went on shakily.

_Tell him. Just say it. It's a lie. It's just a fucking lie_.

"I was just stuck in the past waiting for something that I knew wasn't there anymore. And I know now that I have to let it go. I have to accept the fact that what we had isn't there anymore. That we can't return to how it used to be," he continued on. "You know what I mean, right?" he asked her.

Her heart dropped right there. She couldn't believe it. All she wanted to do was shout out loud, those three words he whispered to her on the beach. Tell him she still loved him. That she always had. That it wasn't over. That it still isn't. She felt her eyes well up but fought back the tears from falling. She nodded her head quietly. She sniffled back her tears and looked up at him and forced out a smile.

He smiled back gently, "I have no regrets Summer. I'm happy for you."

_I am happy for her_, reassuring himself that what he was saying was right.

She was happy and he figured that he should be happy for her as well, even though his heart was breaking on the inside. So, this was what a broken heart felt like. It sucked alright. It was finally…._over_. He couldn't believe it. There he was, sitting in her apartment, with his heart completely shattered. He just wanted to grab her and kiss her again. Kiss her one last time, but that wasn't gonna happen. It was over. They were over. _They were over_, he repeated to himself silently.

All he could get out of his mouth next was the word, "Friends?" _Friends._ He was asking her to be friends._ This is what I want…right?_

She paused for moment before answering. She wanted to scream, _No!_ _I don't wanna be friends! _

They were never friends. They were always more than that.

But all she could do was whispered back a simple, "Yeah." 

  __

…to be continued…

_Hope everyone enjoyed the chapter. I know you guys want the truth to get out but please bear with me for a while longer. Again, thanks for all the awesome reviews. It makes me so happy to hear that you guys like the story. Please keep them coming!_ :)


	9. Chapter Nine

Rating: PG

Disclaimer: I do not own the O.C., nor will I ever.

Life, Love, and Coming Home

Chapter Nine

She looked up at him and forced out a smile. "Friends," she said. _Friends with Cohen.__ Perfect._ _Just fucking perfect._

He smiled back reassuringly. _Friends?!__ How the hell am I gonna be friends with Summer Robert?! Idiot._ _Idiot. Idiot. _

"So…," he said awkwardly. "What do we do now?"

_What do we do now?! How the fuck should I know?! _She wanted to shout.

"Umm…how 'bout some food," she suggested.

"Food. Food is good," he nodded his head in agreement. _This could work. Fuck. Who am I kidding? _

"Okay, great," she said a little too enthusiastically.

"Yeah," he mumbled to himself as he pushed himself up from his seat. She did the same thing, which was a mistake, because now, a mere inch separated them from each other. He was practically breathing her in, a mixture of lavender and chamomile with a hint of cigarette smoke.

They both stood absolutely still, waiting for the other to move first.

"I…I need to get my purse," she interrupted, pointing to her purse on the kitchen counter.

"Oh…um, yeah," he stammered as he moved aside for her to go.

"Idiot," he mumbled to himself.

She grabbed her purse off the table and made her way to the door with Seth following close behind. She turned around and gave him a small smile.

"So are you staying nearby, a hotel?" she asked, trying to make some sort of conversation.

"I'm actually staying with the Nana."

"The Nana," she squealed. "How is she?"

"She's doing well. Figure she would be happy to see, but after all the hugs and kisses, she gave me crap about not calling her or writing her, which I do by the way. I send her a card every Chrismukkah, that ought to count for something. But apparently that's not enough for the Nana."

"Sounds like the Nana," Summer smiled as they walked down the narrow flight stairs.

"She always liked you. She even asked about you?" he said, walking slowly behind her.

"Oh yeah," she replied interestedly looking back at him.

"Yeah. Told her you were engaged," he said, stuffing his hands nervously into his pockets.

"You did?" Summer shifted uncomfortably.

"It was kinda funny actually. She thought you and I were engaged," he rambled on nervously.

"She did?" she laughed uneasily.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said anything," he winced. _Idiot._

"No it's fine," she said with a small smile. _Everything's fine._

"Umm…it's just right across the street. I hope you like pizzas."

"Yeah. Sounds good."

"New Yorkers love pizzas. We practically live off pizzas and takeouts. Any place that does takeouts and is within a mile radius from the apartment is in my phonebook. Several are actually on speed dial."

"Including this one. Here we are," she said as they stop in front of a modest little place situated on the corner of the street.

"Joe's Pizza," he said studying the place. "Joey's Pizza would have sounded more Italian."

"Come on," she said, pulling him in.

"I'll order. You can get us seats," she directed him.

He went over to one of the little window booths and took a seat. He looked around the place and took in the surrounding. The place was small and plain, nothing special. This wasn't the type of place he would imagine Summer eating in.

A bistro maybe, somewhere that had valet seems to be more of Summer's kind of place, not a pizza joint on the corner of the street.

Summer came back with two drinks in her hand. She slip into the booth and handed him his drink. "The pizza should be ready in a few minutes or so."

"Great," he gave her a smile. "Do you come here often," he asked as he took a sip of his drink.

"Once a week or so. When I get a pizza craving."

She stared at him tentatively, squinting her eyes every few seconds.

_Oh God. What is she looking at? It's probably a rash from last night's clams. I knew I shouldn't have eaten it. I can't be breaking out right now. Shit! "_What?" he asked finally, as he ran his hands nervously around his face.

"I don't know," she said squinting her eyes once again. "I try but I just can't see you as a lawyer. Seth Cohen. Public Defender," she said. "I don't know. Just doesn't seem right. What happened to the guy with the comics?"

"He grew up. Everybody has to grow up don't they?" he replied somewhat relieved.

"Peter Pan didn't," she replied with a smile.

"Well, Peter Pan had Tinkerbell. He had a fairy working in his favor."

"But you had this whole comic book world worked out. Even in college you had a dream of ruling comic book world one day."

"And that dream took me all the way through law school."

"Our pizza's here," she announced as a waiter brought over their tray.

"I knew you majored in pre-law. But I thought it was just a fluke," she said as she torn off a slice from the tray.

"Well, apparently it was not a fluke after all. I didn't realize my mistake until I got into law school, which I wasn't expecting to get into," he said tearing himself a slice from the tray. "I hated law school. Practically everyone there had a stick up their ass."

"But by some miracle, I got through it. I like to think I had Jesus and Moses working in my favor," he smiled. "Anyways, a few months later, and I'm working in the same office as my dad."

"Quite a story, Cohen."

"Can I tell you a secret?" he asked, leaning in towards her.

"Yeah," she nodded her head, leaning in as well.

"Well...I actually kinda like being in the courtroom. There's just this adrenaline rush going through me when arguing in the courtroom. I don't know. I can't really explain it," he whispered. "Don't tell anyone though. Don't want people to actually know I like being a lawyer. Could ruin my rep," he gave her a smile.

"Don't worry, your secrets is safe with me," she smiled back. "You are becoming your father, you know that? He would be so proud if he knew what you just told me," she smiled again.

"See when you put it like that. That's why I know why to tell people."

"But enough about me. Let's talk about you," he raised his eyebrows tentatively. "I hear you're a full-fledged agent now, working as some big-time modeling agency."

"I just manage a few girls. Get them into photo shoots, onto magazine, runaway," she said modestly.

"Wow. Makes my job look dismal compared to yours. The perks of the job must be nice."

"Yeah. It kinda is. Free clothes, shoes, makeup. A girl can't really complain," she said with a smile.

Seth gave a laugh. Something about now felt good,it wasalmost likethe way they used to be. The way they were.

"We actually grew up," she whispered. "I mean I haven't seen you in like four years. And suddenly you're a lawyer."

"And you're an agent to future supermodels."

"Four years, huh?" he asked. "I mean it's not a long time or anything. But it feels like a long time."

"Do I look different?" she asked looking up from her plate.

"I don't know. I have to seen you naked," he grinned widely.

"What!?" she gasped, pretending to be offended.

"No seriously. Do I look different?" she smiled as she gave him her best model pose.

He laughed as she tried to strike a pose, "Seriously. Umm…you look skinner," he said carefully.

"Skinner. So I was fat back then," she deadpanned.

"No. You were perfect. You're still perfect."

"Nice save, Cohen," she giggled at his response.

"So how about me," he asked, striking a similar pose.

"Hmmm," she pondered, as she tried not to laugh. "A little dorkier maybe, but still the same."

"Dorkier. I was expecting suave, maybe," he said as he wiggled his eyebrows up and down to Summer.

She laughed heartily, "Yeah, I can see some hidden suaveness underneath that Jew fro," she nodded in agreement.

"Hey, this Jew fro has attracted many women," he said as he patted his hair gently.

"I'm sure it has," she smiled warmly. "Do you want to go for a walk?" she asked.

"Yeah. Let's do it," he said grabbing his jacket from the chair.

"Central Park sounds good?" she asked as she slipped on her jacket.

"Don't they have like drug dealers and men wielding knives at you there," he asked.

"Only at night. Besides I'll protect you if something happens," she smiled brightly at him. "I took some self-defense class a couple weeks ago. It really helped me improve my crotch kick."

"Well, then, I know I'm in good hands."

"Well I didn't take any self-defense class or anything, but I did take some yoga classes."

"What?!" she laughed. "A public defender who does yoga. You cease to surprise me Cohen" she said laughing.

"Ha. Ha. Laugh it up. My mom recommended them to me to _de-stress_, as she likes to call it."

"So you do yoga," she asked again, with a big grin on her face.

"Hey, lots of men do yoga."

"Oh I believe you."

"Anyway, I found I wasn't really in tune with the whole breathing in and out thing on cue. I think I fainted on my mat once. I'm not entirely sure," he paused, putting his hands to his chin. "And to tell you the truth, my body doesn't really bend in the way those poses do. I got myself tangle too, did I tell you that."

She shook her head, trying not to burst out laughing again.

"Yeah. I was trying to do some cobra pose or bow pose, whatever the hell they call it. One thing led to another and the next thing I knew, the instructor was pulling my arms and legs, trying to untangle me."

"Wow. I never heard yoga actually causing so much trauma for a person," she said laughing.

"I may have exaggerated a little."

"Yeah. I figured. Maybe you should try some yogalates," she suggested with a smile.

"Yogalates," he laughed. "Yo-ga-la-tes," he enunciated the word. "Yogalates. My mom does yogalates. Yogalates. What a wonderful word."

"Hey, don't diss the yogalates. It's a fusion of yoga and pilates. You can't do better than that. It can really help you de-stress," she spoke with persuasion. "I even have a little yogalates corner in my office, complete with a mat and everything. Yogalates can really do magic for your chi."

"I'll be sure to look into the art of yogalates," he said with a grin.

The walked quietly together, just enjoying the park. It was a nice comfortable silence, not those awkward silences they have been having. The tension was gone and was replaced by a quiet ease. It was nice. Almost perfect.

_You could tell him now. Now is the perfect time to tell him. _No. She couldn't. It took them awhile to get like this. They were finally at ease with each other again. She couldn't be the one to ruin it. _No. You have to tell him. _"Seth…," she started nervously.

"Oh shit, what time is it?" he asked.

"Um, almost four," she said, looking at her watch. "Do you have to be somewhere?"

"I promise the Nana I would go to this show with her."

"Oh," she said quietly.

"You should come with us," he suggested.

"No. I can't. I got stuff to do too," she said, not wanting to look up at him. "Let's catch you a taxi then," she said, recollecting herself.

_You can still tell him,_ the thoughts ran in her head. They manage to wave down a cab, and as the car pulled to the curb, she wanted to blurt it out, right then and there. _Last chance.__ Do it now before he leaves._

"I had a good time," he said with a smile.

"Yeah. Me too," she gave a tiny smile. He turned around and reached for the door of the cab.

_Last chance, Roberts. _"Seth…," she breathed out softly.

"Yeah," he replied turning around to face her.

She paused. "Tell Nana I said hi."

"Yeah. I'll do that," he nodded. "Are you sure you don't want to be drop off somewhere," he asked.

"No. I think I'll walk. I could use the walk anyways."

"Okay. I'll see you around Summer," he said as he got into the cab.

He waved her goodbye and gave her a smile as the taxi pulled away from the curb

She gave him a small wave back as she stood back motionlessly and watch the taxi drive away.

_Okay. I know you guys want to kill me for making you wait so long for a damn update. I'm so sorry. School kept me pretty busy for the past few months, so I do have some sort of excuse. I honestly don't know if anyone wants to read this story anymore. But I neglected some stuff to get this story out, so I hope you guys like it. I know you guys are disappointed and mad and angry that the damn truth didn't come out yet. But I promise that the truth will definitely come out in the next chapter with tons of drama and angst. We have all waited long enough. I don't really know when the next update will be. But I do want to finish this story and give you guys an ending. So this story will be finish…eventually. There are still a couple more chapters I need to squeeze out. Thank you to everybody who reviewed and pushed my ass to get this chapter out. Please keep reviewing! :) _


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